Back pain ranks second only to the common cold as a cause of time lost from work (1). Some back pain may be diagnosed as lumbar disc disease and may require medical treatment, which can include total disc removal by partial hemolaminectomy or chemonucleolysis. To reduce the morbidity and current expense of disc surgery and the dangers inherent in chemonucleolysis, an automated percutaneous discectomy instrument is greatly needed. The Phase I objective of this proposed research project is to investigate the technical feasibility of developing an automated suction and cutting instrument for percutaneous removal of herniated disc material.* Sheathed in a blunt-end tube (2mm diameter, 200mm length), this automated aspirating-cutting probe would be driven by pneumatic force to ensure against binding or stalling. Computed tomography (CT) would accompany the developmental use of this instrument to promote accuracy of probe placement and to substantiate operative success. Percutaneous nuclectomy has now been accomplished in about 90 patients worldwide using manual instruments (2-4). An automated instrument for this procedure would provide an efficient and effective non-traumatic, semi-invasive means of alleviating the often relentless pain of a herniated or protruded intervertebral disc on an outpatient basis, eliminating post-operative trauma and greatly reducing medical care costs.